TV Daily

Salon's guide to what to watch on Thursday: Jerry Seinfeld guest-stars in the season premiere of "30 Rock."

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Prime Pick

Photo: NBC

Even though it won the Emmy for most outstanding comedy, even though it stars Alec Baldwin and Tina Fey in their best roles to date, even though there’s basically nothing we don’t love about it, no one seems to watch “30 Rock”. But maybe its second season (premieres at 8:30 p.m. EDT on NBC) will pull in the crowds — if anyone can give this show the viewer boost it needs, it’s Jerry Seinfeld, guest-starring as himself on tonight’s episode. While others might raise their eyebrows at such stunt casting, self-conscious parodies make perfect sense on this show, as does Liz Lemon’s (Fey) tragicomic mixture of self-pity and rage. Pander though they might (and they’d better, if they want to stay on the air), the writers of “30 Rock” have a deathlike grip on so many ripe, juicy subjects: the juvenile essence of celebrity, the moronic communication patterns of corporate executives, the crass commercial nature of the entertainment industry, and the deeply pathetic lifestyles of urban thirtysomethings. We love this show with the desperate, needy sort of love that scares away anyone with healthy ego boundaries. Mmm. Don’t knock it ’til you try it!

— H.H.

Also…

For those who prefer to spend their Thursday nights crying rather than laughing, there’s the second episode of the third season of “Grey’s Anatomy” (9 p.m. EDT on ABC), after which “ER” returns for its 103rd season (maybe not, but we’ve lost count) at 10 p.m. EDT on NBC. And on CW, the third season of “Supernatural” premieres at 9 p.m. EDT, while the international athletic competition “Last One Standing” premieres at 9 p.m. EDT on Discovery. For those with an appetite for sick jokes, there’s the third season premiere of “Drawn Together” (10:30 p.m EDT on Comedy Central).